Speakers & Panelists

Dr. Ife Abera is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), and Assistant Professor in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies and Media and Technology Studies at the University of Alberta, with an adjunct appointment in Computing Science. Her research develops computational tools and language models for African languages, working toward a world where AI works for everyone, including speakers of the world's most linguistically diverse continent. She also consults for governments and international organizations, builds language technology, and co-founded EqualyzAI.

Dorothy Akaelu is a PhD student in Media and Cultural Studies in the Department of MLCS at the University of Alberta, Canada. She holds an MA in French and Francophone Intercultural Studies from the University of Regina and has over a decade of experience in language teaching and research. Her research interests include artificial intelligence and machine translation, low-resource African languages, literary translation, decolonial approaches, and digital humanities. Her doctoral research explores the evaluation of AI-driven machine translation of literary texts in low-resource languages, with particular attention to Igbo and the cultural, linguistic, and ideological dimensions of translation. 

Dr. Ann De Leon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages & Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta, where she teaches courses in Spanish, Latin American Studies and Translation (Spanish-English/English-Spanish). Her research interests included community translation practices and the study of Aztec language, history and culture, especially codices (Indigenous pictorial manuscripts) and the representation of Aztecs in video games.

Luciana Erregue-Sacchi is an author, translator, and art historian. She is the director and founder of the award-winning imprint Laberinto Press and a Banff Centre alumnae. Luciana is an advocate for freedom to read. Her writing has been published in Quill and Quire, Alberta Views, AGNI magazine, Life Writing (Routledge) and elsewhere.  

Anneka Vicente Foster is a professional translator and interpreter with ten years of experience, working in Spanish, English, and French. She has a B.A. in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Málaga and the University of Portsmouth. She recently obtained her MA at the University of Alberta, where she explored the literary translation of non-standard dialects from Spanish into English. Her latest publication appears in Interpreting in a Changing World: New Scenarios, Technologies, Training Challenges and Vulnerable Groups, where she examines whether interpreters working in conflict zones need military training. She has worked as an interpreter for UNESCO in Spain, is a Spanish instructor at MacEwan University, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Edmonton Hispanic Bilingual Association.

Kai Lin is is a PhD candidate in Russian and Translation Studies in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta. His research explores the intersections of translation, gender, authoritarianism, and censorship in contemporary Russia. His latest article, "From Cathedral to Counterpublic: Translating Pussy Riot and the Mediation of Russian Feminist Discourse" was published in the journal Feminist Translation Studies.

Sylvia Ijeoma Madueke holds a PhD in French Language, Literatures and Linguistics from the University of Alberta. Her thesis focused on the history and strategies of translating and publishing selected Nigerian literary texts in France. Her research interests include literature and cultural diplomacy, African women writing and translation, and diversity in literary publishing and translation. Her most recent publication is titled The Place of Translation in Nigerian Cultural Diplomacy and its Impact on Translation Exchanges. She currently teaches in the department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, at the University of Alberta. 

Jamie Poudrier is a University of Alberta alumna and Global Content Planning Manager with experience spanning translation, localization, and transcreation. Working with two leading pet nutrition brands, she manages global marketing content for product launches and media campaigns across international markets. As part of her role, Jamie collaborates with regional teams and agency partners to transcreate global creative assets, helping ensure content remains relevant and impactful across languages, cultures, and markets.

Dr. Mahmoud L. S. AlTabarin is Associate Professor of Translation and Linguistics and Head of the Department of English at the Islamic University of Gaza. He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in translation and linguistics. His textbooks, published by Routledge, and research focus on practical approaches to Arabic–English translation and on developing the skills of students and freelance translators. He has also designed translation courses for BA and MA students, as well as an online translation course for Eummena. His research focuses on media, ideology, and AVT.

Dr. Roula Salam, PhD, is a certified Arabic to English translator and past president of ATIA  for two mandates. She is a lecturer, researcher, and curriculum developer at the University of Alberta, a published literary translator, language rights advocate, proud mom and military wife. She teaches graduate writing and intercultural communication and received the University’s 2026 Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. She is currently Vice President of the International Federation of Translators and Chair of FIT Crisis Settings Standing Committee. Her background in decolonial studies shapes her teaching and research. She is a strong advocate for language equity and Indigenous language/vulnerable language rights.